Rooftop Roses
by PFT
Summary: "City of Light? Try City of Darkness." There is a reason why I avoid this city, and in particular, this apartment below my feet.


Rooftop Roses

There was always something I liked about being on the rooftop of a building- it seemed to calm me down, just looking over a city at night. No heists to pull off or plan, just free time to stop and dwell. A chill September breeze blew- but I really couldn't care less right now. The roses in my hands, however, probably did. On this night, 12 years ago, my parents were brutally murdered, nearly right in front of me. While losing my parents at age 8 beat some people, like Bentley and Murray, who didn't even know their parents, those people were lucky in a way. They never had to deal with their minds replaying their parents' murder.

Especially when you're in the city it occurred in. The apartment where it occurred- right beneath my feet.

I was back in that fateful evening in September 1992. It was late, and Mom had just finished putting me to bed when our vacation apartment door was knocked down. Dad ran up the stairs, trying to get away, and telling Mom to get to safety. The intruders ran up the stairs noisily. I quickly made my bed and hid under it, peeking out from under the bed skirt. My bedroom door was open, but the light from Mom and Dad's room cast shadows, as I watched them both die at the hands of the Fiendish Five. That bedskirt saved my life, as one of them checked for signs of another Cooper, but found nothing.

After that, they sent me back home to the orphanage where I met Bentley and Murray. I slightly hoped that, like in the video games I played, they just lost a life and would be there, ready to take me back home- but after 2 weeks, I realized that they were gone forever.

Carmelita

It's been 3 months since Cooper escaped from my clutches. It was a bright night- not only were the streets illuminated by the streetlamps, but the moon shone bright overhead. However, as I entered my dark apartment, I thought I saw something move. The previous tenants had joked, claiming that the apartment was haunted- apparently an american family was brutally murdered here on vacation, the only survivor being their 8-year-old son, who was sent to an orphanage in the U.S. The couple had told me the date of their death, and I put it down, just to see if they were right about the ghost thing.

As I turned the light on to check the calendar, I realized- today marked the twelfth anniversary of that night- meaning that they boy was about 20 now, the same age as me. I turned off the light again, and flicked on a flashlight. The mysterious moving thing reappeared again- only then did I see that it was a trick of the light- coming from the skylight outside the second bedroom. I stood under it to get a better view. A fluffy tail slowly came to rest. I flicked on the light switch to get a better look, but that didn't do anything to improve my view of it. As I flicked off the light switch, I watched as 2 white figures appeared from near where I was and floated up to and through the skylight.

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, then ran to the fire escape, climbing to the roof. They were there again, only when I got there, they disappeared. Only a crouching figure was left, facing away from me. The figure had a blue shirt on, with a red pouch on his leg and a familiar cane in his hands. Sly. I engaged the shock pistol and pointed it at him. "Police, Cooper. You're going back where you belong!"

Without turning around, Sly replied, "Nice to see hear you again, Inspector Fox." There was something in his voice- I just couldn't figure out what it was, but it wasn't normal.

"Hands up, Cooper!"

Sly didn't put his hands up. "What are you going to try to arrest me on this time, Inspector?"

"Trespassing." I saw Sly look down through the skylight. "Don't you even think about going in that apartment, Sly Cooper!"

"That particular apartment is one of the few places I will never enter if I can avoid it."

"I'm warning you- Wait, what?" I did not see that coming. "Why not? Me?"

Sly ignored my question. "12 years ago, on this very night, a family was torn apart. A young boy was on vacation with his parents in the City of Light." Sly scoffed. "Try City of Darkness. Anyway, the boy's mother had just tucked him in when the door was kicked down." Sly turned to me, looking first at my gun, then at me. Before continuing on, he said, "Shoot me if you ever get tired of this story. Just shoot me and be rid of me. The boy scrambled to remake his bed, and hid under it. And as he watched from his hiding spot, a group of thieves brutally murdered his parents."

I had nearly pulled down the trigger by now. I really did not want to hear a sob story that was made up by anyone, especially him. He looked to be bracing himself, then he turned away from me.

"How ironic, that on this night, the night he should've died along with his parents 12 years earlier and 10 feet below him, Death appears, ready to take the boy in the form of a police officer."

I stood there, shocked. I looked at my hands, and the pistol in them. I carefully removed my gun and backed up. Sly turned towards the skylight, set the roses down, and began to speak. "Someday, I'll find you again. Until then, I hope I'm not disappointing you up there." Then he left.

I walked over to the flowers and read the card.

_The roses always were your favorites, Mom. As much as I miss you and Dad, I hope not to join you too soon._

_In Memoriam, Connor Cooper, 1956-1992; Abigail Cooper, 1957-1992._


End file.
